Mystery houseplant in the Plant ID forum

Nov 21, 2021 3:31 PM CST

Bryan, Texas

I saw this at my local lowes, the tag just said "assorted", and the company's website didn't have it listed either. The leaves are rigid, like an agave or a tillandsia, but neither of those feel right for this.

| Quote | Post #2629223 (1)

purpleinopp

Nov 21, 2021 3:43 PM CST

Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL ✌️👍☼🌷⚘� (Zone 8b)

Are the leaves like a saw on the edges?

The last day of this year is 123123!!
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
👀😁😂 - SMILE! -☺😎☻☮👌✌∞☯🐣🐦🐔🐝🍯🐾
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
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☕👓 The only way to succeed is to try! Try to be more valuable than a bad example.

| Quote | Post #2629234 (2)

TexOddball

Nov 21, 2021 4:05 PM CST

Bryan, Texas

No, they're smooth

| Quote | Post #2629244 (3)

CPPgardener

Nov 25, 2021 10:47 AM CST

Name: John
Pomona/Riverside CA (Zone 9a)

It looks somewhere between a ponytail palm and a spider plant. Although it looks juicier than either one of those. It also looks vaguely Aloe-ey or Agave-like.

Plant nerds must know what it is. We just must!

“That which is, is.That which happens, happens.” Douglas Adams

| Quote | Post #2630860 (4)

DaisyI

Nov 25, 2021 11:45 AM CST

Name: Daisy I
Reno, Nv (Zone 6b)
Not all who wander are lost

Wiggle you finger down into the soil and see if there is a bulb attached. Break a (inconspicuous) leaf and see if the sap is gooey. Are the leaves soft or stiff?

It looks like a Pregnant Onion.

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and proclaiming...."WOW What a Ride!!" -Mark Frost

President: Orchid Society of Northern Nevada
Webmaster: osnnv.org

| Quote | Post #2630896 (5)

sallyg

Nov 26, 2021 8:30 AM CST

Name: Sally
central Maryland (Zone 7b)
Let's all play ukulele

Well, the website was NOT helpful
https://www.theurbanjungle.com...
I don't think it is a ponytail and that is the only one I see even close.
Pregnant onion would be very interesting, I haven't ever seen one in a store, but got it from a friend once. She worked at HD so she may have gotten it commercially, there... we are talking years ago.

Plant it and they will come.

| Quote | Post #2631182 (6)

plantladylin

Nov 26, 2021 11:14 AM CST

Name: Lin Vosbury
Sebastian, Florida (Zone 10a)

I wonder if it might be a Bromeliad? It kind of reminds me of Tillandsia.

~ I'm an old gal who still loves playing in the dirt!
~ Playing in the dirt is my therapy ... and I'm in therapy a lot!

| Quote | Post #2631231 (7)

Hamwild

Nov 26, 2021 6:07 PM CST

Georgia (Zone 8a)

I feel like the lines underneath the leaves are important and I feel like it looks familiar, but I'm drawing a blank.

| Quote | Post #2631368 (8)

TexOddball

Nov 27, 2021 3:13 PM CST

Bryan, Texas

Investigation report:

There's no bulb under the soil level. The leaves are very stiff, there's very little give in them. The sap is thin, not gooey, with no smell.

It's not a ponytail palm, and it's not a pregnant onion, but I feel like it could be another member of the albuca family.

The mystery continues…

| Quote | Post #2631785 (9)

Hamwild

Nov 27, 2021 4:15 PM CST

Georgia (Zone 8a)

| Quote | Post #2631827 (10)

purpleinopp

Nov 29, 2021 7:51 AM CST

Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL ✌️👍☼🌷⚘� (Zone 8b)

Have you tried sending an email to ask the grower?

The last day of this year is 123123!!
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
👀😁😂 - SMILE! -☺😎☻☮👌✌∞☯🐣🐦🐔🐝🍯🐾
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
👒🎄👣🏡🍃🍂🌾🌿🍁❦❧ 🍃🍁🍂🌾🌻🌸🌼🌹🌽❀☀🌺
☕👓 The only way to succeed is to try! Try to be more valuable than a bad example.

| Quote | Post #2632470 (11)

Bschmuck

Nov 29, 2021 10:28 AM CST

Name: Bria
Northern VA (Zone 7a)

It looks like a pineapple 🤷‍♀️

| Quote | Post #2632519 (12)

purpleinopp

Nov 29, 2021 11:35 AM CST

Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL ✌️👍☼🌷⚘� (Zone 8b)

It does. Are the tips of the leaves sharp enough to pierce skin? That would be a really weird thing to be selling as a houseplant, and the pups around one so small seem unusual for "regular" Ananas comosus, but there are cultivars & other, similar species.

The last day of this year is 123123!!
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
👀😁😂 - SMILE! -☺😎☻☮👌✌∞☯🐣🐦🐔🐝🍯🐾
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
👒🎄👣🏡🍃🍂🌾🌿🍁❦❧ 🍃🍁🍂🌾🌻🌸🌼🌹🌽❀☀🌺
☕👓 The only way to succeed is to try! Try to be more valuable than a bad example.

| Quote | Post #2632541 (13)

DaisyI

Nov 29, 2021 12:08 PM CST

Name: Daisy I
Reno, Nv (Zone 6b)
Not all who wander are lost

Pineapple plants are sold as house plants all the time around here, but they always have a little pineapple on top. The leaves are greyish on the bottom.

Maybe its a Yucca.

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and proclaiming...."WOW What a Ride!!" -Mark Frost

President: Orchid Society of Northern Nevada
Webmaster: osnnv.org

| Quote | Post #2632550 (14)

TexOddball

Nov 29, 2021 10:46 PM CST

Bryan, Texas

Leaf-tips are too soft to pierce skin. I think yucca is out because the leaves aren't fibrous, they can just snap like a green bean. I sent a message to the vendor, we'll see if they respond.

| Quote | Post #2632809 (15)

purpleinopp

Nov 30, 2021 9:51 AM CST

Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL ✌️👍☼🌷⚘� (Zone 8b)

Please let us know the response if they do. : )

The last day of this year is 123123!!
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
👀😁😂 - SMILE! -☺😎☻☮👌✌∞☯🐣🐦🐔🐝🍯🐾
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
👒🎄👣🏡🍃🍂🌾🌿🍁❦❧ 🍃🍁🍂🌾🌻🌸🌼🌹🌽❀☀🌺
☕👓 The only way to succeed is to try! Try to be more valuable than a bad example.

| Quote | Post #2632942 (16)

purpleinopp

Dec 5, 2021 2:04 PM CST

Name: Tiffany purpleinopp
Opp, AL ✌️👍☼🌷⚘� (Zone 8b)

Any news?

The last day of this year is 123123!!
The golden rule: Do to others only that which you would have done to you.
👀😁😂 - SMILE! -☺😎☻☮👌✌∞☯🐣🐦🐔🐝🍯🐾
The best time to plant a tree is 20 years ago. The 2nd best time is now. (-Unknown)
👒🎄👣🏡🍃🍂🌾🌿🍁❦❧ 🍃🍁🍂🌾🌻🌸🌼🌹🌽❀☀🌺
☕👓 The only way to succeed is to try! Try to be more valuable than a bad example.

| Quote | Post #2635336 (17)

Johannian

Dec 6, 2021 1:47 PM CST

Name: Johannian
The Black Hills, SD (Zone 5a)
And she called His name Jesus

Maybe some Asiatic lily?

Honor thy father and thy mother, do unto your neighbor as you would have them do unto you. (Mat. 19:19)

| Quote | Post #2635823 (18)

DaisyI

Dec 6, 2021 1:55 PM CST

Name: Daisy I
Reno, Nv (Zone 6b)
Not all who wander are lost

A flower would answer a lot of questions...

Life is not a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in a pretty and well preserved body, but rather to skid in broadside, thoroughly used up, totally worn out, and proclaiming...."WOW What a Ride!!" -Mark Frost

President: Orchid Society of Northern Nevada
Webmaster: osnnv.org

| Quote | Post #2635828 (19)

Bschmuck

Dec 6, 2021 4:00 PM CST

Name: Bria
Northern VA (Zone 7a)

I'm sticking by my pineapple guess. Doesn't it look like this pic, guys?

| Quote | Post #2635896 (20)

Plant ID forum

Mystery houseplant

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Plant ID forum Mystery houseplant

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Plant ID forum

Mystery houseplant